Beijing Vows to Rein in Trade Surplus

By

Andrew Batson

Updated Jan. 16, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

BEIJING -- China's leadership is increasingly determined to bring its much-criticized trade surplus under control, as a consensus appears to be building that the imbalance is an economic problem for the country and not simply a political irritant.

Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai, in his first public remarks since China last week reported that its trade surplus surged 74% to a record $177.47 billion in 2006, said reducing that excess will be a top priority for 2007. According to the official Xinhua news agency, he said...